Ann Sheridan and John Garfield in "Castle On The Hudson" (1940) directed by Anatole Litvak
"John Garfield plays Tommy Gordon, a small time hood who is working his way to the top against the wishes of his girlfriend Kay Manners, played by Ann Sheridan. When he forgets it's his bad luck night (Saturday) and pulls a job anyway, naturally he gets caught.
Kay visits him in prison and says she's working with his lawyer to get him out. Gordon doesn't trust his lawyer, thinking he's making a play for Kay, and tells her to stay away from him. Gordon soon befriends a couple of cons played by Burgess Meredith, the smart guy, and Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, a dumb lug and they all hatch a plan to escape. On the night of the escape, Gordon realizes it's Saturday night and refuses to leave his cell.
Later, Gordon is summoned by the warden and told that Kay has been in an auto accident and isn't expected to live. If Gordon will promise to come back, the warden will let him go to see her. He promises to return even if it means the chair. As he's leaving the warden's office, he notices that it's Saturday but goes on anyway. On his way to see Kay, Gordon picks up a tail from a policeman who can't believe what he's seeing.
When Gordon gets to the bedridden Kay, he learns that his lawyer was indeed moving in on her and was the cause of her injuries. He takes her gun and starts to leave to settle the matter when Kay convinces him not to and to give her the gun. About that time, the lawyer shows up and the two men start fighting. When the lawyer appears to get the upper hand, Kay shoots him. The policemen hears the shot and tries to force Kay's apartment door. Gordon flees with the gun and the lawyers money.
Gordon hooks up with his old gang and arranges for safe passage out of town on a boat. However, upon reading the headlines and seeing that the warden will lose his position for letting him go, he decides to return. Kay insists she shot the lawyer but nobody believes her and Gordon is sentenced to die. The ending of the film is very good, with Williams having to face his fate before Garfield, John Litel as the prison chaplain, and a couple of more scenes with Sheridan and O'Brien as Gordon faces his fate". Source: www.classicfilmguide.com
Ann Sheridan made seven films in 1938, including "Angels With Dirty Faces" with James Cagney.
She was named Max Factor’s Girl of the Year in 1939.
Ann Sheridan and Ronald Reagan in "Kings Row" (1942) directed by Sam Wood. Ann's role Randy Monaghan in "Kings Row" was her favorite performance of her career. Bogart had tipped Ann off about it before the filming entered in production.
Carole Landis with fellow actress Ann SheridanAnn Sheridan walked out of the studio on several occasions.
Once refusing the role in "Strawberry Blonde" (1941) directed by Raoul Walsh, because she'd played too many like that already. That role went to Rita Hayworth.
Another of Sheridan's walkouts was over a salary dispute -- she was earning $700 a week and, being one of the studio's top assets, she felt she should get $2000. In the war years she was one of the handful of stars who traveled to the faraway corners of the global conflicts to entertain the troops almost on the line of fire.
Bette Davis and John Garfield looking at plans for the Hollywood Canteen
Ann Sheridan signs autographs for enlisted men at the Hollywood Canteen in 1943
In her words, regarding James Cagney and Pat O'Brien: "They raised me. I was a brat running around who they could pick on. I was certainly fond of them and they seemed pretty fond of me. All the people on the lot were pretty wonderful, we all got along."
Regarding John Garfield: "John Garfield was a dear man. He was like the little guy who brought the apple for the teacher."
Ann said she loved Humphrey Bogart and Errol Flynn. Source: www.altfg.com
After Sheridan and Humphrey Bogart co-starred in "San Quentin" (1937) directed by Lloyd Bacon, in which their characters were siblings, they became friends and began referring to each other as Sister Annie and Brother Bogie.
Humphrey Bogart and Ann Sheridan in "It All Came True" (1940) directed by Lewis Seiler
Ann Sheridan with Humphrey Bogart and George Raft in "They Drive by Night" (1940) directed by Raoul Walsh
In their Ann Sheridan obituary the London Times said: "Without ever achieving the mythic status of a superstar, she was always a pleasure to watch, and, as with all true stars, was never quite like anyone else". Very true words, I concur.
